What food tastes and smells like obviously impacts the pleasure we derive from it. Visual presentation and mouthfeel in the mouth (i.e., its temperature and texture) are also important. But what about sound? Does what we hear change what we taste? Science says YES!
According to numerous surveys like ones from Zagat and Consumer Reports, excessive noise is the top complaint many restaurants have - before service, size of crowds, or even food issues. Noise is also an important consideration when it comes to reputation. Studies show that background music and noise that is too loud has a negative impact on diners' perception of the meal and the likelihood they'll return, no matter how good the food. Loud music hinders our ability to perceive how much alcohol is in a cocktail, we drink more and eat faster when the music is loud. We also enjoy the meal less.
Flavor perception is multi-sensory. Sound can enhance the way we perceive the flavor of food through a phenomenon called cross-modal association. This is when multiple senses work together to alter how we perceive our surroundings - including how sound influences taste.
High-pitched tones: Can bring out sweet and sour notes
Lower pitches: Can bring out umami and bitter notes
Loud background noise: Can suppress saltiness, sweetness, and overall enjoyment
Classical music: Can enhance the perceived quality of food and drink
Soundtracks: Can emphasize or draw people's attention to certain flavors of a dish
Supermarket chains like Publix in Florida manipulate your perception of freshness with the power of sound. A curious rumble coming from the “lettuce wall” followed by a sudden crack and a boom and the sound of rain.
You might assume this misting process keeps the produce fresher. In fact, the opposite is sometimes true: Excess water can may be adding bacteria and weight (more money), plus making your greens wilt faster than the pre-bagged vegetables. But it gives the illusion of freshness and tricks your brain into thinking you’re selecting farm-fresh produce.
Recent research has illuminated fascinating findings about how sound — both the sound of the food and sounds around us — have a significant impact on the flavors we taste and how we perceive the dining experience. Researcher and gastrophysicist, Charles Spence calls sound the “forgotten flavor sense.”
Over the last decade, we’ve learned a great deal about how sounds change the way we perceive food. Studies have shown that when the sound of opening a bag of chips is amplified, people tend to rate the chips as tasting crisper and fresher. People perceive carbonated beverages to be more flavorful when the sound of the bubbles is louder and more frequent. Diners who hear Italian music while eating Italian food are likely to perceive it to be more authentic.
Perhaps the most compelling sound of food study was conducted by Charles Spence and Heston Blumenthal, the world-famous chef at The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, UK. Together, they have discovered that the flavor of bacon and egg ice cream can be flipped by changing the background sound. The ice cream tastes more ‘bacony’ if you can hear the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan, while it tastes far more ‘eggy’ if the you hear chickens clucking.
“The Sound of the Sea” is Blumenthal's signature dish at the Fat Duck. The dish is presented on a glass-topped wooden box containing what appears to be sand and seashells features seafood and edible seaweed on a bed of tapioca - all washed down with the sound of breaking waves. Diners revealed that the ocean sounds make the fish taste fresher and saltier.
Why Your Bloody Mary Tastes Better in the Air
In 2015, Robin Dando, a physiologist at Cornell, found that exposure to loud noises, like that of a jet engine, dulls sweet flavors but intensifies the umami factor – the distinct savory flavor of asparagus, meats, cheeses and tomatoes. This might explain why airlines serve almost as much tomato juice as beer and wine - even though most of us don’t stock tomato juice in our fridges at home.
Since then, scientists have discovered that once we get to cruising altitude, the cabin humidity drops by about 15 percent. That drop in humidity decreases moisture in the throat and makes us thirsty. In addition, that dry throat slows the transport of odors to the brain’s smell and taste receptors. It’s like when you’re sick and everything tastes bland. That’s largely because you can’t taste what you can’t smell.
In addition, plane vibrations stimulate a nerve in the middle ear, which messes with our perceptions of taste. Sweets don’t taste as sweet in noisy situations — like the 85 decibels aboard a jetliner or in a club where the music roars. However, savory flavors – like tomato juice - are significantly enhanced.
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